The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-29
Housekeeping Pests.

Complaints are made from various
sections OF band of baking powder
tramps whose tricks upon unsuspecting
h0usekeepers seem to partake very much
of the nature Of confidence operations,
The band is COMPOSED Of women, al
though employed and d. &c ed BY agents
Of the other sex, and their metk Ods of
procedure, as explained by seVersi Iauies
who have been vlcrm' zed. Is aa follows:
Obtaining access to the kitchen, they
intr0dut the subject OF baking powders
inqnifing 3 the kind used in the family.
being shown the can, perhaps a fresh,
full one, they volunteer to ''test" it to
ascertain its qualities. Their "tesl"
consists in placing the can on a hot
stove or over lamp or gas jet, or In
mixing the baking powder with water
both hot and cold. II the baking powder
1s good for anything, the heat will, of
course, expel the gas, which, being am
mOnia or carhonic. Is apparent to the
scense of smell. The claim IS then made
that the odOr Indicates something detri-
mental, although, as a matter of fact, a
baking powder that would give eff no
gas when subjected to heat would be
without leaVening power and Vslueless.
They will also mix the baking powder
given them with water. If pure il ef-
ferVesces quickly. The baking powder
they peddle beiug similarly mixed,
fOemq up slowly like yeast, standing,
perhaps. over the top of the glass. This
they claim as evidence # superiority,
whereas 1t is the exhibition of q trick
only, their baking powder having been
specially prepared to make this test by
the addition OF flour. gum or alum. Ii
1s sure evidence Of adulturation. OF
course, the object of these fraudulent
tricks is to destroy confidence in all
other kiBdS Of baking powder, and to
sell the particular brand for which the
women are travelling.
We're this the whole Of tina operation,
hOuspkeepers wonld not ften bs de-
ceived. Every intelligent person knows
that baking powder is not made TO bs
used IN this way, but In cooking, where
its action Is entirely different from that
produced by dry heat or by mixture with
water alone. The chief object of this
juggleTy Is to destroy the baking DOW.
der given for testing; or by heating IL
to drive off Its lesVening gases. and 40
weaken 1t that wnen used it win fail
to work. At the next baking there ia
NSS' ANSNB Va NOuAoOp ohu buC
probably gets the credit Of having told
the housekeeper valuable fact, instead
OF having spoiled her baking powder, as
was actually the case. The average
tramp" will, In this way, destroy from
fifty to seventy five pounds of baking
powder day.
A second method Of spelling for use
the baking powder In kitchen where
they are not permitted to experiment.
with 1t, Is by dextrously throwing In
the can q small quantity Of salt, soda
or powdered lime. Again, should there
chance to be no baking powder in the
house, the operators will produce, of
the kind used by the family, sample
that has been purDosely adulterated or
"doctored to make such an exhibit as
they desire under the so called test.
The only way to protect our food from
being contaminated by tramps of this
kind is to turn all persons who wish TO
tsmper with it unceremoniously from
the door, and to use those articles, only.
which experience has proved satisfac.
tory, or the official tests have establish.
ed as pure and wholesome.